vegetable bhaji salad

Ingredients

75 g chickpea flour

75 g plain flour

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika or chilli powder

½ level teaspoon salt

1 small cucumber

50 ml fat-free natural yoghurt

1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves chopped

2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges

olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 leek

2 carrots

3 spring onions, trimmed

2 red onions

2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

150 ml vegetable oil

mustard seeds

100 g rocket, washed and spun dry

Method

Put the flours and ground spices in a bowl and slowly pour in 250ml water. Stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk to make a bright yellow batter. Add the salt, then put to one side.

Cut the cucumber into long ribbons with a speed peeler and keep to one side. To make the dressing, mix the yoghurt with the coriander and the juice of 1 of the lemons. Add a splash of olive oil, season, and put to one side.

Cut the leek, carrots, spring onions and red onions into thin strips - try to get them the size of long matchsticks. Mix with the chillies and the ginger.

Pour the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and heat until very hot. Mix the vegetables, a little at a time, with some of the batter. Add a pinch of mustard seeds and scoop out a tablespoon of the coated vegetables. Press flat with the back of a fork and carefully drop into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining vegetables - you may have to fry the bhajis in batches. Move them around a little in the hot oil (with a pair of tongs) to make sure they aren't sticking together. Fry for a minute or so on each side until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper. Place some rocket and cucumber ribbons on individual plates, drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and top with 2 or 3 bhajis. Serve with the lemon wedges.